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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala to face Turkish rival at the start of Abu Dhabi Open

Alex Eala to face Turkish rival at the start of Abu Dhabi Open

Published Feb 1, 2026 01:00 pm

At A Glance

  • The 20-year-old Filipina sensation is riding a wave of momentum and is poised to climb to a career-high world No. 45 in the latest rankings after a quarterfinal finish at the inaugural WTA 125 Philippine Women's Open.
Alex Eala practices before a huge crowd at the Abu Dhabi Open on Saturday, Jan. 31. (Abu Dhabi Open)
Alex Eala practices before a huge crowd at the Abu Dhabi Open on Saturday, Jan. 31. (Abu Dhabi Open)
Alex Eala continues her chase for another WTA title as she squares off against Zeynep Sonmez in the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Open in the United Arab Emirates this week.
The 20-year-old Filipina sensation is riding a wave of momentum and is poised to climb to a career-high world No. 45 in the latest rankings after a quarterfinal finish at the inaugural WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open.
Awarded a wildcard entry into this WTA 500 event, Eala has already drawn massive attention, pulling in a large, mostly Filipino crowd during her practice session on Saturday, Jan. 31.
“All the love for Alex Eala,” the tournament posted on social media, accompanied by photos of her practicing before a huge audience.
She has also teamed up with Indonesian Janice Tjen in the doubles, where the Southeast Asian duo is expecting a tough first-round match against multiple Grand Slam doubles champion Kristina Mladenovic and Filipino-Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
Eala is bracketed in the lower part of the draw that features second seed and world No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova and 2025 Australian Open quarterfinalist Paula Badosa.
In fact, a victory for Eala would set up a next meeting with the winner between Badosa and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Against Sonmez, Eala aims to reaffirm her dominance over Turkey’s top tennis player after winning their first two encounters -- first in the Round of 16 at the W60 Nantes in France in 2023, and again in the qualifying round of the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open, where the Filipina went on to finish as runner-up.
But Sonmez is riding the wave of momentum of her own after storming into the third round of last month’s Australian Open via the qualifiers. Her breakout Grand Slam stint was highlighted by a stunning 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 upset victory over 11th seed Alexandrova.
Currently ranked No. 112, the 23-year-old Sonmez is projected to leap to world No. 79 in this week's rankings.
The Abu Dhabi Open features four major titlists that include Elena Rybakina, Jelena Ostapenko, Sofia Kenin and Barbora Krejcikova -- as well as defending champion Belinda Bencic.
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